Shingles Vaccine Becoming Increasingly Common Among Older Adults

A National Center for Health Statistics data briefing said shingles vaccinations among older adults have risen significantly over the last decade, reports Pharmacy Times . Data from the 2008-2018 National Health Interview Survey estimated that the shingles vaccination rate among adults 60 and older increased from just 6.7 percent in 2008 to 34.5 percent in 2018. The shingles vaccine was much more common in the West-North-Central region of the United States with a 42.8 percent vaccination rate for adults over age 60, while the East-South-Central region had a 26.3 percent rate. The vaccination rate also was higher for those who were not poor and had more than a high school education. The rate was similar between men and women, but non-Hispanic white adults had a vaccination rate of 38.6 percent, making them twice as likely as non-Hispanic black adults and Hispanic adults to be vaccinated. Finally, adults 70 years and older were more likely than those 60 to 69 to have received a shingles vaccine.